When the work was finished, we had great difficulty in securing carriers to bear our burdens to San Bartolo.

Enormous prices were demanded, and at last, angry over the attempted extortion, we threatened to leave all our stuff behind us, and hold the town responsible, reporting them to the authorities when we should reach Oaxaca, demanding that damages should be collected.

These threats had the desired effect.

The _secretario_, who had been the only member of the town government displaying energy in our behalf, promised by all that was sacred that our goods should be delivered promptly at San Bartolo; that if they were not already there on our arrival, we might safely arrange for further transportation from that town, convinced that the goods would come before we left.
That we might not be too much delayed by this palaver regarding carriers, I had started the balance of the party ahead, and rode on alone after them.

They had left at 10:15, and we all had a hot, dry, dusty, thirsty mountain ride until five o'clock in the afternoon, when we reached the ranch, Las Vacas.